Elastic coupling



JEAN-FELIX PAuLsr-:N 2,514,897

ELASTIC COUPLING my n, 1950 Filed March 19, 1945 'Fg'. 5 l

linhlgglnunm l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i proportional -f UNITED-i1 STATES PATENT OFFICE EL'AsTic ooUrL1Nc- J can-Flix Paulsen,` Paris, France ApplicatitnjMarth 19, 1945,'seria1Nt. 583,447

In Belgium August ,5,"1943'" section `1, rutiit Law 69o, Aug-115158,19@ A H Patent expires August 5,19 63;1

present inventio'nrelates toelastic` couplings and it `is more lespecially, althcu'gh "not exclusively-concerned; among these devicesQ' with t rtoup-lings for the transmissionof Qhighleifrtsvor of "efforts `that undergo very 'considerable` varia- 5 tions', such for instance as the couplings used for the'rive of rollingmill trains, in "which 'overloads or peaks occur frequently. Y

'U'Ifheobject of the presentinvention is' to pro'- vide a coupling devicesuch thatits efliciency, vas 10 elasticil coupling, remains substantially the same frfall yalues, 'oftlie torque that is transmitted thereth'rotugl1,` and, accordingly,` a coupling device which is very elastic wlieri'tlflje Aelffports'tobe transrriit d 'are witninga; admettant-@tf variati@ 15 which gradually becomes" more arid mor'e`rigid asftjh rguefthjat is transmitted and thesresuitii'igV el tic' deformation"become"greaterand great r'." Itshouldfbenctedthatthisjis contrary tetwhat takes' placenithcaseof coupling 20 dentes of 1 the same general tvpe.' 'which` the avin iurfdergmiei is'substantially `the''valueojffthe torque'that is elastic defo transmittdttinchm it necessary ftp provide v `averyrigidelaisticfr-zou ngtwhichjdeforinfs very 25 little and "1s-theatre* iofr `ltwi fincyfwifenthe transmission not7M f ",Accodiilg, i1 invention; the e ouplirfifg- "includes fatleast one block Yorai'it'e'l `c"matterial'*at'la'ptegi to coop- 30 crate" with" atw'leastJ one rigid part"belnigi'ng` 'to the driving or )the Ldriven element of Athe'fcoupling py ligation of itide pase fofthisbiotin-without possibl ofslidingdisplacement;'against a surface fof jsaid part parallel'tofthc directinV of 35 the' efforts t to be,l transmittdjand `by gradual Iern-i' gagementjjas this"y k iis' getting; more' andf'more deformed, ofon'e side: thereof *with another'` sur` face'of sai'dfpart 'jlying 4trans'yers'e'v to YtheV direc? ti'oxrof this effort; saidj'block beingprvclivifd'ed4 with 40 a'fhle or husingV generally 'paralle tofthe last mentioned'surface; and' 'ceplanar witlffthe" axisiof dr t vg anddriveneleiiients, aridi wh Afis engageda projection"earriedbythe ther eleL ment of the couplingto wit the driven `o elementthereorespectively; whereby `isf-nist transmitted bythe mock whichlprovi'des i t which', when the, i u Msed;this"block isfin 'compressionbetweensald,projection andthe 50 second mentioned surface, whichpiovidegs' in'- 10" claims. relitti-i514) i `first mentioned element" of the coupling' is adapted vtoforrn, orto carry'a piece forming, a housing' 'cavity for said blocksuch that the larger bas' ofthe block can be applied against a face of said housing parallel, or substantially so', to the directionof thefeiort tobe transmitted and which constitutes the' "first surface above mentione'd,` while the lateralsurface of the block is intended to cooperate with `the wall or walls of said housing transverse (for instance perpendicular) to `the direction of the effort to be transmitted, said lateral'surfacebeing therefore nor-l inally outof contact'with said last mentioned wall,v or wallstof`the housing (said wall, or Walls, constituting the secondsurface above mentioned) and beinggradually forced into contact therewith over an increasingly greater area as the trqneA tobe transmitted'` is increasing. In this embodiment, the projection carried by the second 'mentioned element of the coupling engages in anaxialliole"opening into the smaller base of the block. 4 t I 'A Prefered embodiments of the present inventionrwill lbe hereinafter described, with reference t6 the'` accompanying drawings, in whichz' Fig.Y 1 is -a'transverse sectional view, on the line I-I ofFigL 2, and Fig. 2 a 'developed section, along circular line II-II of Fig. 1, of a portion ofI an' elastic coupling made according to a first embodiment of my invention;

Fig. '3 is a view, analogous to Fig, 2, of a modification;

Figl Il is a transverse section of a, coupling made aceording to a third embodiment; l Fig. 5 is a view,'similar to Fig'. 4, of a modification;' i

'6 and 7 are an elevational view and a. side View, respectively, of a coupling device made acording' to a fifth embodiment of the invention; Fig. `8 is a View 'showing'ona larger scale and in axial section, 4one Aof the elastic blocksl of the coupling device of Figs. 6 and 7.

,Inv the'exatrnvple illustrated bythe drawings, it willbe, suloitised that the effort is exerted by 'a sitting .that-t i and that itis" transmitted, either in one direction of rotation orV in the other, and

yforinstance'iri `the direction of arrow A, through tiiinternetiiate' of the'Y elastic coupling interposed' between this shaft l and a driven shaft 2.

But of course', the'partsplayed by these shafts can b'ereversed, and `alsetlie eifort might be suppliedr and received by pieces other than shafts.

On shaft I there is provided a disc t*` or a circular annular element fwhich includes, on

lateral walls of which are constituted by the corf responding sides of walls 4 or 41. As shownby the drawing, these wall sides are generally of plane shape and perpendicular to the above mentioned face of disc 3 or annular element 31, but they might as well be oblique or curvilinear.

In the embodiment (Figs. l and 2) in which the first mentioned element of the coupling is a disc, such as 3, perpendicular to the axis-of shaft I,'l

walls #l are therefore parallel to said axis-and they may be interconnected not only by said discv :but bya fiange 5 integral with said disc. On the contrary, when said element of the coupling de- `v`ice is constituted by a circular annular element such as 31 coaxial with shaft I, walls 41 are radial 4 in a common plane) with the common axis of parts 3 and 6, and adapted to cooperate with the corresponding projection of disc 6. The latter fits in this housing at least along the lateral faces thereof that are at right angles to the direction of the effort tobetransmitted.

Advantageously, according to a feature of the invention, I fix on the larger base 81 of block 8 la' metallic reinforcement plate I0 which adheres to the rubber mass and which is secured to disc 3 by welding, screwing, riveting, or by mere en- .gagement between walls 4. In a likewise manner, concerning housing 9, I provide the walls lthereof with a metallic lining, of U-shaped cross section, which is thus interposed between block 8 and the corresponding projection 1. This particular construction has the advantage that the and may extend either inwardly, as shown by Fig. 4, or outwardly, as shown by Fig. 5. According to the embodiment illustrated by Figs. l and 2, the driven shaft 2 is provided with a disc (fi parallel to disc 3 and located at a distance therefrom greater than the height of walls 4. On 4,

the face of disc 6 opposed to the side on which shaft `2 is located, that is to say on the side of said disc that is turned toward the disc 3 that carries walls 4, disc 6 is provided with projections (either :integral therewith or fixed thereto), of prismatic, l

cylindrical, or other shape and so positioned that the axis of veach of these projections coincides rwith the axis of one of the recesses or chambers `(,irefer'red to in some of the claims as cavities) formed on disc 3 by walls 4, the number of these ,projections I being therefore equal to the numlber of Athese chambers.l The height of these projections 'I corresponds, in the example shown by the drawing, to about one half of the depth of these recesses or chambers.

In each of these recesses or chambers is fitted a block 8 of an elastic material, such for instance as rubber, either reinforced or not, which vis given the 'shape of a frustum of a pyramid and has a base portion and a summit portion. The opposed faces 81 and 82 of this block may, as shown by the drawing, be parallel to each other, and perpendicular to the bases of the pyramid." As for the lateral faces 83 and 84, either plane or curvilinear, they converge toward each other from the base to the summit of the block and, further, are differently inclined with respect to the median longitudinal plane of the block so that the lateral edges of the larger base thereof can be placed in contact with the adjacent lateral faces of walls li. fVIt follows that, when the block is fitted in its normal position inside its chamber or recess, its larger base is applied against the Vertical end wall, or bottom, thereof (referred to in the claims as a face and in some of the claims as'a wall), while the side faces of this block, respectively 83 and 84 diverge from the walls 4 of the chamber of recess, from the edges of said side faces common with the larger base 81, which edges are applied against said walls 4, toward the edges of said side faces which are common with the smaller base 82 and where the distance between said side faces 83 and 8'1 and walls 4 is at its maximum.

In the central part of eachk block I provide a hole or housing 9 having its axis co-planar (lying blocks better resist the efforts they have to undergo.

rIn the embodiment' which has been just described, the rubber blocks can be engaged radially in their respective recesses or chambers, when the coupling is assembled or when parts thereof are to be replaced, without any necessity of moving shafts I and 2 away from each other or of removing discs 3 and 6 from their normal positions. lIhis advantage is due to the fact that the recesses or chambers in question are open on the side of the periphery of the coupling and that it suflices to push the blocks into these chambersfor recesses until reinforcements I0 and Il have come into contactwith the parts (walls 4 and projections l) with which they are to coact.

In the modification shown by Fig. 3, I add to plate 3 a second plate 3a parallel to the first and also xed to shaft I. This second disc 3a is provided with ribs or walls V4a located respectively opposite the free ends of walls 4 and which may be fixed thereto, for instance by welding. The driving element of the coupling is' thus constituted, in this modification, by la kind of cage includingajplurality of radial recesses. In each of these recesses,'I fit two rubber blocks 8, yanalogous to those above -described and the smaller bases yof which are opposite each other and, advantageously, as vshown by the drawing, in contact with each other. In this modification, the driven element Ilia of the coupling is constituted byv a circular annular element provided with radial projections la, each provided ywith a metal liningl l la. v

In the embodiments illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5, the driving `element 31 andthe driven element 61l are disposedcoaxially one inside the other and the blocks` 81 are'inter'posed between these elements. The basesof these. blocks .and their renforcements |31 and l I1 may be made of rounded shape, with a curvature corresponding to the dameters of elements 61 and 31, as shown by Fig. 4. But, according 'to a modification, as illustrated by Fig.' 5,A the outer face .ofelement 3 is made of polygonalV section, elements Illz and H2 having planey surfaces, 4which simplifies the 'manufacture thereof.l j .1

When theel'astic coupling according to the invention, Amade as above set forth, is utilizedfor the transmission of a variable effort, the rubber blocks `are in shearing' between surfaces B-B and C+C (Fig. '2) as long as the torques transmitted bythe couplinghave normal or reduced values. When the torque that is'being transmitted exceeds a given value, the blocks are' deformed and a'slight 'relative angular displacement takes place. between'the; l'ements of the couplingsuch as` `3 andt.'V consequence of this, a larger and' rubberfmas's t0. been compressie is compressed be'tween'thliswallandthe4 U snondingproieetierr. Fl, Witheifsfreiifersemem15| l peaks` are liable g-to l calculated that, as lon sata' that contact is eetablie ed duallyvinq creasing areal between bleeks mal-working conditionsar esumed,. t eL-ruber blocks ,automaticzally` come g .back to their linitial shape.` t p In the embodimentiof. Figsrrd to.r8,..eachofthe rubber blocks, .-designatedby reference-,numeral 8a, is given the1 shapeoi Iagbody cfg-.revolution having the general rshape oa frustum of a cone.` In other words, theacross sectionsofftherubber. blocks parallel to disca3 are Loit-circular shape.

y The larger .base -o-r `eaeh .b1ock gaa. .is providedwith a flat metallielreinforcement III whichfada heres to the rubber-massif and whichis .secured to disc 3 through bolts yIIJl-f orf-.by;riveting,-,welding and soon.l l y In order to provide .fthefsuriace transverse'to the direction offtheeffort ftorberatransmitted; inA

this case `each 'block'gisg'surrounded `@bywaybellshaped piece I'2,.of circullaagsectionandthe lateral. wall ci` which vis eyiindrieal,v athezfbotem surfaee of this beu-shaped pieeeel,2;.:erres1eor1dine 'Sub: stantially to `the @area of. ffreinforcement III .and consequently of the.` largerfbase of.yblock gaa.;

, Due tothe shape of :block-,2811, the laterale wall of said block and the corresponding. portionrot the cylindrical I-wallfoi piece I2 diverge from each other from the base of larger `area toward the smaller base, which `ensuresgrin operation, the same Way of working asabove described, concerning the deformation and elastic'res'istane of. the rubber block.

In the smaller base yof blo'ck -'8a-I provide at least one hole, for instance 'la central holed-cl3 adapted toact as hollfngforfa rigid projection 'Ib fixed, for instance by means of :a bolt or screw I4, to a disc E carried by the driven shaft. The inner Wall of said hole I3 may be tted with a metal or other lining, ias above set forth.

In the embodiment shown by Figs. 6 to 8 of the dra-wing, the rubber blocks are distributed at regular intervals along a circumference concentric with shafts I and 2. I may of course make use of two series `of blocks distributed along concentric c ircumferences, for instance in staggered relationship.

This embodiment of my invention Works in the same manner as above described with reference to the other embodiments (rubber mass normally eliminates the transmission of vibrations from one t Sbaitfef--iheeatherff .Furthermore it! Sbeuldrbe noted that bell-shaped piece 2 opposes,any` exeeeeeatetdeformation/ef i. material-ef..Jeleekfe in tlf A. under the eifect eff eerie-lineair testine thereon Se wettige Der-ieeleetrpe.oncoming device Ais :well: adapted@ hieezseeedeef f revelar;` tion ofthe shafts. I V

vAx1-1aeiie eeeeline mede-eeeerdihskte .my .1.11- Veniienree .abeteeeseribedfwheieverhe *Sleepers tieular ealleeelilfrleriiv thet-- ehesenf is' weil-- adapted to.meettherreqeiremenieebve Set .fetta The number and s-izetof. therecesses .tor-champ? here erevidedffer the fensterheber and. also the Shape :constitutive materiel, -.eed--- Size Ofthese blocks een easily lbeeeeuleiedf te eer-respond te the ,power-.te bei ,teeieSmiiied-- .'.Itslieuld be-fwell understood that the. ..movenientiof :thefdriving: enden-venelementsofthe-evenalsneet-necess'arily. a rotational movement, but lmight-,1` be a, translatoryyor other move ent'. k

Ina general. manner, whi u have; fthe-above c le'szrijction,-` disclosed what I deem to4 `ey practical. en d efficient.embedimenteefthepresentinvern; tion, itshouldbe wellunderstood-gthat; domqt, wish turbe-limited thereto as :there might .be, changes mede rirl-the arrangement ..dispesitifm-fx and4 l form. ofA the parts ,without departing s .from the-principle kof. .the present .inver1 ti ir1-.A as corner prehended .within the A"scoperti :the accompany?.

inglclaims.`

What Lelem-ief .y j 1. An v,elastic coupling .-vvfhicljiu compr-isea; ,inf combination, a `inist rigid rotaryartfalseeond: rigid rotary, part .co-axial' thr saidffrst part; @geref/seid pertswbei. ...fd .ren-part -ofi the; couplingy and Vthe. -.otl;ler fpart. being-they driving. part thereof, said .driving @part beingsrotatableccaxially'swith Y respect ltofzsaigdy drivens parti ;forzv transmission..Y of the; drive thereto; a pluralityuof. rigidwalls carr-'ied-jby.l thecfirst fp art along the periphery thereof, each-oisaidiwalls having iat.-v least a portion of.,` its lateralfA surfaces, extending. .a generally `radial lv-Tdirectioniwith. respect; :tot theaxisof,said-frotarypartssaid rst part, hav.- ing cetaceilocatedlbetweenthe bases of. each two successive ones;of(4sai'clizwvalls;l a .pluralityaor clase; ticbloeks, each ofcsaidnblockszhaving albasepore tion andysasummit `portion fjoinedbyu lateral. wallsgthe-base portion ofq/eaclrnbloclc beirrgl, mountedpn one of. said faicesandrextendmg subi-'iy s tantially.v the-:entire distance:metri/reen:.'tlifestvvo {denim-ng.- the. rasa each i lateral'.Y wan being.

located adjacent a surface of one of said rigid walls, each lateral Wall and its adjacent rigid wall surface diverging from each other starting at a point located in proximity to the face on which the block is mounted, each block having a hole extending thereinto from the summit portion and extending only part of the distance to the base of the block,v the axis of said hole being co-planar with 'the` axis of said rotary parts, and a plurality of rigid means carried by the second part and engaged each in one or" said holes, whereby torque force being transmitted from said driving part to said driven part is rst transmitted resiliently through said blocks in shear, and as the force increases is transmitted in compression of said blocks with increasing rigidity as the blocks are deformed to bring the lateral Walls of said blocks into contact with the adjacent surfaces of said rigid walls to an increasing degree.

2. An elastic coupling as set forth in claim 1, and a rigid plate secured to the base of each at 14,89'2'y saidblocks lie'parallel to "and equidistant fromv the axis of said'rrotary parts. v

6. An elastic coupling as set forth in claim 1, in which said faces lie perpendicularl to the axis of saiid rotary parts, said rigid means compris` me projections extendingradiaiiy with respect to` theaxis of s-aid rotary parts;

7; An elastic coupling as set forth in claim 1,

iin Which said faces lie on a common cylindrical surface coaxial with said rotary parts.

y 8. An elastic coupling which comprises, in combination,` arst rigid rotary part, a second rigid rotary part'coaxial with said rst part, one

ofvsaiid parts being the -driven part of the coupling'land the other part being the driving part thereof, said driving partbeing rotatable coaxially with respect tosaid driven part for transmission of the drive thereto, means carried by said first rotary part and forming at least one cavity bounded by lateral and bottom walls, at least one elastic block, each block having a base portion and a vsummit portion, joined by lateral Walls. the base portion of each block being mounted on the bottom'wall of one of said cavi ties and-extending substantially the entire width of said bottom wall, each lateral block wall being located adjacent a lateral Wall of the cavity in which the block is mounted, each lateral block wall and its adjacent cavity Wall diverging from eachother starting at a pointlocated in proximity' to the bottom wall of the Icavity in which the block is mounted, each block having a hole extending'into the summit portion thereof and extending only part of the distance to the base of the block, the axis of said hole being co` planar with the axisof said rotary parts, and a :plurality of rigid 'means carried by the second rotary part and .engaged each in one of said holes, whereby torque force being transmitted from said driving part to said driven part is firs-t transmitted resiliently through said blocks in shear, and as the force increases is transmitted in compression of said blocks with increasing rigidity as the blocks are deformed to bning the lateral walls of saidblocks into contact with the adjacentl lateral cavity Walls to an increasing degree." f i 9. Anv elastic ycoupling which comprises, in combination, a first rigid rotary part, a, second rigid rotary part coaxial with said first part, one of said parts being the driven part of the coupling andthe other part being the driving part thereof, said driving 'part being rotatable coaxiially With respect to said driven part for transmission ofthe drive thereto, said first part having a 'surfaceperpendicular to the axis of the rotary parts, a plurality of cup-shaped elements attached to said surface with their axes parallel to -theaxis of vsaid rotary parts, a plurality of elastic blocks, each o'fsaid blocks having a base portion anda summit portion joined by lateral walls, said 'blocks tapering from their base portions" to their summit portions, the base por- .,tion of each block being attached to the bottom of one of said cup-shaped elements, the base portion of each block having a diameter substantially equal' to the bottom diameter of said cup-shaped elements, each block having a hole extending' into thesurnmit portion thereof and extending only part of the distance to the base of the block, `the axis of said hole being parallel with the axis of said rotary parts, and a plurality of studs carried by the second part and engaged each in one of saidholes, whereby torque force being transmitted from said driving part to said driven part is first transmitted resiliently through said blocks in shear, and as the force increasesis transmitted in compression of said blocks with increasing rigidity as the blocks are deformed to bring the lateral walls of said blocks into contactiWith the adjacent surfaces of said cup-shaped elements to an increasing degree.

' 10.`An=ela'stic coupling according to claim 9, in which said blocks are rounded, all of said cups-haped elementsbeing located equidistant from the axis of said rotary parts.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the o file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

